Sam's Next Trek
by Angelus-2003
Summary: Sam returns to help battle the Xindi in Season 3 of Enterprise, Rated M just incase...
1. Chapter 1

Quantum Leap belongs to Universal, Enterprise belongs to Paramount, I'm just playin with them...

Prologue:

Blue light surrounded him, no matter where he looked, he floated in a never ending sea of blue.

"Dr Beckett? Can you hear me Dr Beckett?"

Sam looked around, he could hear the voice but not see anyone.

Sam: "I can hear you, where am I?"

Voice: "Now now Dr Beckett, that would be telling. Are you ready?"

Sam: "Ready for what?"

Voice: "To continue your mission Dr Beckett."

Sam: "But I just want to go home."

Voice: "I am sorry Dr Beckett, there is still too much for you to do. Maybe soon, but not now."

Sam: "Can I go home after this mission?"

Voice: "Perhaps, Are you ready?"

Sam: "Where am I going?"

Voice: "You may not remember it, but you've been there before. Into the future."

Sam: "Enterprise...I'm going back to the Enterprise?"

Voice: "Yes Dr Beckett, your help is needed again."

Sam: "Will it be hard?"

Voice: "Yes Dr Beckett, this will be a very hard mission. Are you ready?"

Sam: "Why do you keep asking if I'm ready? It never matters if I'm ready, you'll send me anyways. All I want to do is go home, I'm so tired. Please, can't I just go home? Haven't I done enough?"

Voice: "I am sorry Dr Beckett. You can't return home until your job is finished."

Sam: "When will that be?"

There was no answer to his question, Sam's heart fell as he realized, he may never get to return home.

Voice: "Are you ready Dr Beckett?"

Sam: "Yes...I'm ready."

Voice: "Very well, good luck Dr Beckett."

Bright blue light engulfed everything and Sam was gone.

Sam opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was that he was in a very uncomfortable position, As he slowly sat up he saw that he's apparently fallen asleep while sitting at some sort of table. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around, he was in some sort of room with a lot of high tech equipment and monitors. He wondered what he was doing here, why he had leaped, he hoped AL would be here soon to fill him in.

As Sam got up and started to look more closely at the room and the gadgets it contained, he felt a sharp flash of familiarity with everything, as if he'd been here before. Then a name popped out from one of the holes in his swiss cheesed memory, _Tactical Command Center_. Sam looked closer at one of the darkened monitors, as he caught his reflection in it he gasped, he was in his own body…no wait…some of it was coming back to him, he'd been here before, he knew this place. Sam sighed, he was on Enterprise.

Back at Project Quantum Leap, things were a little…hectic.

Ziggy: "Admiral Calavicci, we appear to have a problem."

Al was standing next to the control station trying to make sense out of the multi-coloured blocks flashing before his eyes, he looked up at the swirling blue globe that was Ziggy's main interface.

Al: "What kind of problem?"

Ziggy: "It would appear that Dr Beckett has leaped."

Al: "Yeah so? How is that a problem?"

Ziggy: "You did not let me finish. Dr Beckett has leaped, however, no one has leaped in to replace him."

Al: "What?"

Ziggy: "No one has leaped in to replace Dr Beckett. The waiting room is empty."

Al quickly turned on his heel and practically ran to the waiting room, as the door finally slid open, Al felt as if he'd been sucker punched. There was no one there, Al slowly turned around and walked back to the control room.

Al: "What's going on? If there's no one in the waiting room then that means Sam's leaping as himself."

Ziggy: "I am uncertain Admiral. My monitoring equipment for the waiting room seemed normal, as you can see on the monitor, everything blanked out for a moment, as it does during a leap, however when the cameras came back on, Dr Beckett was gone."

Al: "Start crunchin' some numbers and give me an answer. Call everyone back to the Project, all leaves are cancelled, get Gushie and Donna and Tina back here on the double, I have to go call Beth and tell her I'm gonna be late for dinner. And get a lock on Sam!"

Sam was still looking at the images on the monitors in the command center, he'd had to sit down to watch the first one, it showed the still burning remains of a huge trench cut into the Earth. He'd read the report that went along with it, over 7 million dead, countless more injured and homeless. Sam sat and read the mission logs, some of his memory of being here before had returned, he was Captain Jonathan Archer again, and Archers mission this time was to stop this race called the Xindi from destroying Earth, the first attack had merely been a test.

Sam read over some of Jon's personal logs and mission logs, according to the personal logs, Jon had decided that in order to focus on the mission, he needed to block everything out, every distraction every feeling. Including those towards his first officer. Sam recalled that the last time he'd been here, it had been to set the two of them up, he wondered if this time he was supposed to help the Enterprise complete it's mission, or to put the personal relationship between Jon and T'Pol back together.

Sam read through the rest of the personal logs, and knew that in order for this to work, in order for everyone to still believe he was Archer, he'd have to act like Archer had been. He'd have to be the proverbial hard ass. Sam figured he could do it, he'd get more advice from Al on what he was exactly here to do once Al finally showed up.

According to the ships mission logs. _Enterprise_ had just left a prison world where they had gone to try to get more information on the Xindi. This had not panned out and things had gone downhill from there. Sam yawned and decided it was time to head back to his cabin. He closed down the files and left the room, as he walked through the ship he noticed how quiet it was, Sam figured it was very late. As he walked he passed a group of what appeared to be soldiers, they were dressed in greyish uniforms and were heavily armed. Sam realized these were members of the MACO team that was onboard to help out.

As Sam reached his cabin he was happy to find that the little dog of Archers was still around, and still as friendly as ever. Sam changed his cloths, set his alarm to wake him in a few hours, and quickly fell asleep, still wondering what was keeping Al.

Al had decided to quickly return home and inform Beth of what had happened a PQL, the two of them were sitting in his study. Al is sitting in an overstuffed chair. He's smoking a cigar and staring at a silver framed photo in his hand. Beth's sitting half on the chair and half on him. Beth's older and her hair is streaked with gray, but she's still a radiant beauty ... especially when she smiles.

Al: "Wherever he's leaped, Sam's still himself."

Beth: "Because no one's in the Waiting Room?"

Al: "There's no other explanation. Ziggy's starting a nanosecond search in the morning but I got a feeling Sam's leaped beyond his lifetime again."

Beth: "Into the past or future?"

Al: "The future. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. He's in the future, way in the future... far beyond his lifetime."

Beth: "How'd he get there?

Al: "The bartender sent him."

Beth: "The bartender?"

Al: "Why not? Anyone who has the power to leap Sam through time can be anyone he wants to be ... a bartender, a train conductor ... a steam bath attendant."

Beth takes a second to absorb that, then looks down at Al.

Beth: "He'd know where Sam was in the future."

Al: "How do I ask him? As a hologram, he couldn't hear me."

Beth: "If he's God, I think he'll hear you."

Al: "Good. But without Sam in that bar, I can't get there."

Beth: "You could if you leaped."

Al looks slowly up to Beth, realizing she's hit on the solution.

Al: "I might not come back."

Beth: "You'll come back. Anyone who came back from Vietnam can come back from anywhere."

Al: "Thirty five years and you still amaze me."

He pulls her into his arms and passionately kisses her. Then, he's out of the chair and gone.

Beth watches him go.

Beth: "So do you."

Announcer's voice: "Here's the windup and the pitch. It's a long fly ball to left field. Open the window Aunt Minnie, here she comes!"

Ghee is standing next to the Philco radio. The miners at the bar stop their raucous celebration and turn to the radio to hear the crash of broken glass that's Rosey's sound effect for a Pirate home run. The miners cheer as the Rosey continues.

Ghee: "Do you believe this! They trade Kiner and now half the team's hitting home runs. "

Bartender Al smiles and slides a draft to Miner Ziggy and then picks up Mutta's glass to refill it.

Miner Ziggy: "Nobody on the Pirates will ever break as many window canes as Ralph Kiner did."

Mutta: "Panes not canes. Window Panes."

Miner Ziggy: "I said panes."

Mutta: "You said canes."

A blue light materializes next to Miner Ziggy, coalesces with electric, arcing into Al and dissipates. Mutta and Ziggy seem oblivious to Al's sudden appearance and speak to him as if held been there all along.

Mutta looks at Al: "Didn't Ziggy-say canes? Window canes?"

Al looks confused, his memory being swiss cheesed the same as Sam's had been: "I don't remember what she said?"

Mutta: "She?"

Al: "Ziggy."

Miner Ziggy: "You must be a friend of Sam's."

Miner Ziggy looks at Mutta and explains: "Sam knows a Ziggy who's a woman, an ugly woman."

Ghee joins them.

Ghee: "He must have seen you in your dress at the Beer Barrel Reunion."

Al: "You cross-dress?"

Miner Ziggy: "Cross-dress?"

Al: "Dress like the opposite sex."

Ghee: "My Aunt Anna does that."

Al: "Dresses like a man?"

Ghee: "No, like a woman."

Ghee slaps the bar and, laughing at having put one over on the Al, moves off with Mutta and Miner Ziggy.

Bartender Al wipes the counter in front of the Al who is now slightly isolated from-the miners.

Bartender AL: "What'll it be?"

Al: "Information."

Al shoves the punchboard to him.

AL: "Twenty-five cents a punch. Hit the jackpot and I'll answer your question."

Al: "I got to gamble to get info from God?"

AL: "Who said I was God?"

Al: "Sam did. He said you were God or Time or Fate."

AL laughs: "Why not an alien while you're at it."

Al looks stunned: "Oh my god!"

AL: "What?"

Al: "We didn't think of that, It makes sense. You could be a higher intelligence from the outer reaches of the universe!"

AL: "I'm afraid the only alien here is you, Al."

Al: "Why me?"

AL: "Because you're the only one who doesn't belong here."

Al: "What about Sam?"

AL: "He's not here anymore ... he's on the job."

Al: "In the future, right?"

AL: "Right."

Al looks mad: "Without me!"

AL: "I didn't think you were needed."

Al: "You didn't think I was needed! Who flew the X-2? Me! Who taught him Elvis' moves? Me! Who showed him how to box, shoot pool, draw a six-gun ... kiss the girl!"

AL chuckles: "You."

Al: "You're damn right, me! If you're God, excuse the language."

AL: "If I'm God, you're excused."

Al: "Sam wouldn't have righted a single wrong if it wasn't for me."

AL: "Well.…"

Al: "Okay. Maybe one or two, but he needs me. And more important... I need him."

AL thinks this over for a moment before speaking.

AL: "The past has been mere prologue. Where Sam has gone, there is great danger."

Al: "Cut the Star Wars dialogue! Are you going to send me with him or not?"

AL: "You'd no longer enjoy the safety of a hologram."

Al: "I was kinda hoping that would continue."

AL: "You'd be a Leaper, like Sam, with all the inherent risks."

Al: "I still want to join him."

AL: "That's all it takes."

Al: "What do you mean?"

AL: "You just have to want to do it."

Al steps aside and the Al looks into the mirror.

Everything has changed. The bar, the miners, all have leaped far into the future, the miners have become crewmen on board the Starship _Enterprise_, the bar has changed into the ships Mess hall, Al looks around and catches his reflection in one of the ships portholes. What he sees staring back at him takes the breath out of him, It is the image of a young Asian woman. From the reflection in the window, Al sees someone approach him from behind.

Trip: "Hoshi ya got a sec?"

Al: "Oh, boy."

On the bridge

T'Pol sat in the captains chair studying the reports that had been filed from the mission to the prison colony. The Captain and Commander Tucker had been unsuccessful in obtaining the information they had hoped to get. T'Pol let her thoughts wander briefly to Jonathan. Ever since the attack on Earth, their burgeoning relationship had been put on hold. Jon had drawn farther and farther away from her. The only time in the past few months she had seen the spark in his eyes that showed how much he cared for her, was when she had announced she was not going back to Vulcan, that she wanted to remain with him on Enterprise. That night they had spent in his cabin simply enjoying the company of the other. However, that moment had come and gone, vanished along with their usual meals together, and their off time spent with one another.

Now it seemed as if all of Jonathan's time when not on the bridge was spent in the newly built Tactical Command Center. The times that T'Pol had been able to get him to join her for a meal, he had been distracted and often left before he was finished eating. His only reasoning for his behaviour was the Earth needed him.

T'Pol understood Jon's wanting to succeed, not wanting to fail his people. T'Pol felt that she would be doing the same if their roles were reversed. However, it hurt her to think that Jon felt she could not offer assistance during this. That he needed to push her away as well.

T'Pol was brought out of her thoughts by Hoshi calling her name.

Hoshi: "Sub-commander? Dr Phlox is requesting your presence in Sickbay."

T'Pol: "Very well Ensign, inform him I am on my way. Lt Reed, you have the Bridge."

T'Pol gracefully raised herself out of the chair and entered the lift heading for Sickbay.

Once she strolled through the doors to sickbay, Phlox looked up at her with his usual cheerful smile.

Phlox: "Good Morning Sub-Commander, thank you for coming down here."

T'Pol: "I have a very busy schedule Doctor. What did you need?"

Phlox: "It appears that Commander Tucker has been experiencing some sleep deprivation connected with the death of his sister."

T'Pol: "How does that concern me?"

Phlox: "In going over the Vulcan database, I came across a reference to a procedure known as Nuero-pressure, the ability to use nerve pressure points to stimulate certain responses from another person. It can also be used to induce sleep."

T'Pol sighed

Phlox: "I was surprised to discover that you know how to perform this procedure Sub Commander."

T'Pol: "Doctor. I do hope that you are not suggesting that I use this treatment on Commander Tucker in order for him to, get a good nights sleep."

Phlox: "Actually T'Pol…"

T'Pol: "Doctor. I am unwilling to perform this on Commander Tucker. The procedure can be quite….intimate. I have no desire to place myself in that position with the Commander. Perhaps it would be best if you simply gave him something to help him sleep."

With that, T'Pol turned on her heel and made a quick exit from Sickbay. Or at least she would have if Phlox had not reached out and grabbed her arm.

Phlox: "T'Pol, as the ships Chief Medical Officer, I could order you to do it. I am hesitant to give Commander Tucker drugs in case he develops an addiction. I would rather this be your decision."

T'Pol tried to tamp down the rising spark of anger inside her. There was only one person on the ship she would be willing to touch in the manner nuero-pressure is used in.

T'Pol: "Then Doctor I advise you to remove your arm from mine, and make it a medical order. As I can see no logical reason for me to perform this on the Commander when there are other medical options that can be used, I am filing an official protest with the Captain."

Phlox quickly took his arm off T'Pol's, surprised that she would call his bluff.

Phlox: "Now now T'Pol, I see no need to inform the Captain of this. He has enough on his mind of late. I am sorry T'Pol, I had thought that since Cdr Tucker is your friend, you would be willing to help him through a traumatic time."

T'Pol raised her eyebrow in disbelief. The man simply would not give up!

T'Pol: "Doctor, once again I must refuse, please respect my wishes. Do not ask me to do this again."

With that, T'Pol successfully made her exit from Sickbay.

Sam awoke before his alarm went off, after a few minutes of disorientation he remembered where he was, who he was supposed to be. And how he was meant to act. Sam still wasn't sure if he could pull off being a hard ass, it just wasn't him. Sam quickly shaved and showed, got dressed and was making his way to the mess hall for breakfast when he heard the sound of someone running up the corridor behind him. He stopped and turned to see a young Asian woman running towards him, She looked familiar, Sam quickly placed her name, Hoshi Sato, ships linguist.

Sam stood and waiting for the woman to catch up to him. When she did she stood there for a minute gasping for breath.

Sam: "In a hurry for breakfast Ensign?"

The reply that came from the woman however, almost gave Sam a heart attack.

Hoshi/Al: "Damnit Sam, why do you have to have such long legs, I knew smoking all those cigars was going to get me into trouble eventually."

Sam blinked and stared at Hoshi: "Excuse me Ensign? Are you ok?"

Al: "Get off it Sam it's me, Al I leaped, I'm in this girls body."

Sam quickly grabbed the woman and pulled her to the side of the corridor, and spoke in a low voice hoping the crew passing them wouldn't hear what he was saying.

Sam: "AL? What the hell are you doing? What do you mean you leaped? What the hell did you do that for?"

Al: "It was the only way we could find you, no one leaped in to replace you, so Beth and I hit on the idea of me leaping in to that bartender, and all of a sudden here I am."

Sam lost in though: "What do you mean no one leaped in to replace me? What happened to Archer?"

Al: "I have no idea."

Sam frantically begins thinking for a solution to their problems, but is having troubles du to his swiss cheesed mind.

Sam: "If you're here, then we have no connection to the project, there's no one to advise us of what to do, why we are here or how we're going to get out of this."

Al: "I'm sorry kid, but I had to do it. There was no other way to locate you."

While Sam and Al tried to figure out their problems, Captain Jonathan Archer was having some of his own.

Jon awoke to find himself surrounded by blue light.

Jon: "What he hell!"

Voice: "Good Morning Captain"

Jon: "Who's there? What's going on?"

Voice: "You have a mission to perform Captain."

Jon: "You're damn right I do, now get me back to my ship!"

Voice: "Oh not just yet Captain, the mission I'm talking about is slightly different than the one your thinking of, although, they are connected."

Jon: "What the hell are you talking about."

Voice: "Your help is needed Captain, and I'm sorry to say that you have little choice in the matter. You will do this, or you will never return to your ship, or to T'Pol."

Jon's thought immediately went to T'Pol, his beautiful first officer, and for the past few months, his love, his girlfriend. Even though he knew he was pushing her away, he was certain he could still save what they had once this mission was completed.

Voice: "No Captain, it is quite essential to everything that what you and T'Pol have is saved now."

Jon: "What do you mean?"

Voice: "Let's just say it's one of those things that are supposed to be, Anyways as I was saying, you have a mission, are you ready Captain Archer?"

Jon: "Ready? Ready for what? What is this mission that's so important, What am I supposed to be doing?"

Voice: "Observing Captain, simply being an Observer, and offering the occasional bit of advice."

And with that, Jon vanished in a crackling blue burst of energy, only to re-appear in front of a table that had glowing boxes on it and was surrounded by some very shocked people.

A woman with curly dark hair looked up and saw him standing there, her mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise.

Donna: "Sam?"

Jon: "Oh boy"


	2. Chapter 2

-1Jon looked around and saw that he was in what appeared to be some sort of high tech lab, just in front of him there was a platform with what looked like multi coloured blocks on it a blinking on and off, just above him there was a blue ball filled with some type of swirling energy? Jon was still looking at this globe when uniformed men rushed in and pointed weapons at him.

Security officer: "Don't move!"

Jon wisely stopped everything he was doing.

One of the people came out from behind the table with the coloured blocks on it.

Donna: "Wait stop, don't shoot!"

Donna walked over to where Jon was, she looked at him closely and then Jon saw a look of profound sadness cross over her face.

Donna: "You're not Sam are you?"

Jon knew it was a statement, not a question, but chose to answer it anyways.

Jon: "No, I'm sorry."

Donna sighed again and looked at the security guards. "Lower your weapons, he's not here to harm us." she looked back at Jon "Are you?"

Jon shook his head.

The lead security guard nodded once, holstered his weapon and was followed out of the room by the other guards.

A short man wearing glasses and with curly red hair came out from behind the table and approached Jon.

Gushie: "I remember you now, you were here the last time"

Jon had to stop himself from stepping away from the man, he had horrible breath.

Jon: "I don't know what you're talking about, I've never been here before, return me to my ship"

Donna: "I'm afraid that's not possible Captain Archer."

Jon looked at her, he hadn't told them his name, and how did they know who he was?

Donna: "If you'll come with me, we can fill you in on where you are, and maybe we can find out why you're here." Donna glanced up at the glowing orb in the ceiling. "Ziggy? Please pull up all data from Captain Archer's last visit with us, and have it ready in Sam's office."

Ziggy: "Yes Dr Ellese."

Jon followed Donna out of the room and wondered just what the hell was going on here.

Meanwhile…..

Hoshi/Al: "Dammit Sam, what the hell is going on here? Why am I a woman?"

Al and Sam were now in Archer's cabin, Sam had dragged Al here when he started ranting in the middle of the corridor, and Sam figured it was safer considering all the looks they were getting.

Sam: "Al, calm down."

Al: "Calm down? Calm down? At least you get to look like you, I'm in this woman's body!! And not in the good way."

Sam just shook his head.: "You wanted to leap, now you have to face the consequences. Remember all the times I was a woman?"

Al: "Yeah but, I don't even have the hand link, we got no contact with the project. How are we gonna find out what to do?"

Sam: "We do what we have to, right now until we hear something, we have to act like the people were supposed to be. You're Hoshi Sato, ships comm. officer."

Al interrupted him: "How do you know?"

Sam: "I've been remembering things from the last time I was here. It's like the time I leapt into Jimmy again, I remembered everyone. My mind hadn't been so….swissed cheesed. "

Al just shrugged and sat down on the couch.

Sam sat on the bed and shook his head again. "I'm not sure I can do this a second time Al, Archer's different this time. I've been reading his logs, both the one he records concerning ships business, and his personal ones."

Al: "Different, how do you mean?"

Sam: "He's closed himself off from the crew. He's become, focused, driven….darker."

Al: "Why?"

Sam mentally slapped himself, Al didn't know.

Sam told Al to sit at the desk, he then pulled up the information about the attack on Earth.

Once it was finished Al had a grim look on his face, well on Hoshi's face.

Sam: "He's become a harder person Al, he pushes people away. I've read in his logs that he thinks it's the only way he can stay focused for what needs to be done. Remember when I was here last time, I was supposed to set him and his first officer up? Well it worked. Until this attack. He even pushed her away, and I think that hurts him the most."

Al: "What're ya gonna do kid?"

Sam: "What I have to, I have to try to be him. But I can't let him keep pushing his friends away, especially T'Pol. Archer should have realized his friends and crew are in the same boat, they could help him."

Al: "Yeah? Well don't try to change everything back too soon or then they'll really think something's wrong."

The two of them were interrupted by the Comm. going off.

"Bridge to Ensign Sato"

Sam pointed to a box on the wall and showed Al how to activate it.

Al: "Ensign Sato here"

T'Pol's voice came over the speaker "Ensign, you are 10 minutes late for your duty shift. Do you have an explanation?"

Sam motioned to Al to move out of the way "T'Pol this is the Captain, I was briefing Hoshi on the deployment of the communication buoys. She'll be right up."

T'Pol: "Understood Captain, Bridge out"

Al looked over at Sam: "I don't even know how to get there."

Sam chuckled: "I'll show you, I should probably be up there myself. I am the captain after all. And maybe I can start patching things back together with everyone if I start now."

The two friends left Archer's cabin and headed for the Bridge.

Back at PQL, Jon was getting brought up to speed on everything that was going on. He'd even told Donna about how he'd gotten sent here. Donna sat and thought about that for a moment before speaking up.

Donna: "Well, it seems you're here to replace another member of our team who has leapt in order to try to find Sam. I'm guessing that's what the reference to you being an observer was meant for."

Jon: "What do you mean?"

Donna: "Shortly before you arrived here, our project observer, Admiral Al Calavicci, had taken it upon himself to leap to try to find where Sam was. Everything happened the same as when Sam would leap, Al leaped out, and someone leaped in to replace him."

Jon: "Who?"

Donna smiled and stood up, taking Jon's hand in hers and guiding him towards the waiting room. "Someone whom I'm pretty sure you'd like to meet Captain."

As Jon walks into the waiting room, he sees an older gentleman in a white body suit sitting on a cot like bed, the older man looks up as Jon approaches and smiles at him. He jumps off the table and runs to Jon and grabs him in a bear hug.

Jon: "What the hell?"

Man: "Captain! I'm glad to see you, I have no idea where we are, one minute I was getting ready to go for breakfast and the next I was in this room. And to top it off, something is really messed up around here, why am I a man?"

Jon pushed the man away and held him at arms length. Jon looked at the man very carefully and came to the realization that he knew the person he was looking at.

Jon: "Hoshi?"


	3. Chapter 3

-1On _Enterprise_

Sam and Al both walk off the turbo lift together, Sam quickly gestured so only Al could see where he was pointing, and Al went and sat at the communications station. Al had absolutely no idea how to work anything or what he was supposed to be doing but as he sat at the station, he was surprised to discover he seemed to know what buttons did what and what the readouts meant. Al smiled to himself.

Meanwhile over by the captain's chair, T'Pol was briefing Sam on their course.

T'Pol "We have set course deeper into the Expanse. Sensors do not detect any planets or ships along our route."

Sam:: "Very good, can I talk to you for a minute, in private?"

T'Pol merely raises her eyebrow as Sam turns and heads for the ready room, T'Pol follows him, informing Mr Reed that he has the bridge.

Once the two of them are safely inside the ready room, Sam looks at T'Pol and is once again reminded of her beauty. He'd rehearsed what he was going to say in the turbo lift and hoped it would sound like something Archer would say.

Sam: "T'Pol, I just wanted to let you know that, I'm sorry."

T'Pol: "Sorry for what Captain?"

Sam: "Please, just for now, call me Jonathan." Sam watched as T'Pol thought it over for a moment before nodding, then he continued. "I'm sorry for how I've been acting, for pushing you away. You know how I feel about you right?"

T'Pol: "At one time I believe that I knew the extent of your feelings toward me, but as of late I have been, unsure, if they were still the same."

Sam: "They have been T'Pol, the way I feel about you will never change. I had just figured that with, everything at stake, that I needed to focus all of my attention to the mission. Everyone back home is counting on me."

T'Pol: "Jonathan, I do understand, but I would point out that the logic behind your decision is flawed. You are not the only one on this mission, the entire crew of the _Enterprise_ is here, as well as the MACO's. This is our mission as well."

Sam: "I know that"

T'Pol "Then why do you not trust us enough to understand that we are in this together, and that we need to be there for each other. That we can help you, that I can help you. I believe I mentioned once already, you need me Jonathan, and I need you."

Sam smiled, he now understood better what drew these two people together. And why they needed to be together.

Sam: "I do trust you T'Pol, and I'm sorry for the way I've been. I'll try to be better, I promise."

T'Pol: "Do not make promises you may not be able to uphold. I understand the position you are in. And I will try to help you as much as I can."

Sam: "Your guidance has helped me more than you know."

T'Pol raised her eyebrow and raised her hand and caressed Sam's cheek. "I have, missed you these past few weeks, perhaps we could have dinner tonight?"

Sam knew that to make this work so he and Al could leap out of here, he'd have to do whatever it took to make everyone think he was Archer. Well no one said there weren't perks to this job.

Sam: "I'd like that"

T'Pol: "Very well, I will see you in your dining room at 19:00hrs."

Sam: "Ok, now I think we should get back on the bridge before the crew get suspicious."

T'Pol nodded

As the two made their way back out to the bridge, Sam was reminded of something Al had said, Don't make the change back to normal Archer right away or the crew will know something's not right. Sam had decided that he would do his best to blend this new darker Archer with the way Sam remembered him being.

At PQL

Donna, Gushi, Tina and even Ziggy were filling Jon in on what the project observer's role was all about.

Jon: "So I step into this room over here, and images of where the leaper is are portrayed around me? And only he can see and here me, no one else, that about right?"

Ziggy: "Not images, holograms." she said with a huff.

Jon: "Sorry"

Donna hands Jon a handlink "This is how you will keep in touch with us, it allows Ziggy to send you any information she may have."

Jon: "Ok I get it, let's get this done."

Gushie: "Remember Captain, The only one who should be able to see and hear you would be Dr Beckett. We are not sure if the Admiral will be able to or not. Also you won't be able to touch anything and no one is able to touch you."

Jon merely nods

Ziggy: "Imaging chamber is online. I will be able to lock onto Dr Beckett's location once you have entered it Captain Archer.

Jon: "Thank you Ziggy."

Ziggy: "You're welcome Captain"

Donna and Gushi exchange a strange glance with each other, Jon notices it.

Jon: "What?"

Donna smiles: "Well, Ziggy isn't one for pleasantries. The only one she said please, thank you or even, you're welcome to, was Sam."

Jon: "So this means?"

Donna: "I think it means she likes you Jonathan."

Jon: "Not sure how I'm even gonna try explaining that to T'Pol"

Donna laughs and watched Jon head up the ramp to the Imaging chamber.

Once Jon is in that chamber, images of places and people begin to swirl about him, it is quite disorientating, as soon as it seems like he's about to pass out from the sight, the images stop and begin to solidify, after a moment, he finds himself standing once more on the bridge of his ship, and sitting in front of him is….himself…

Jon looks at the man sitting in his chair on the bridge of his ship. "well" he thought "they were right, we do look alike". Jon waved his hand in front of Sam's face and was surprised when nothing happened.

Jon: "Hey!"

Still no response. Jon figured that their little idea that Sam would be able to see him wasn't working. He hit the button on the little pad that opened the door back to the control room and with his temper beginning to rise, stormed out there to tell them they had gotten something wrong.

As Jon walked through the door and it closed behind him, Sam looked up and could have sworn he had seen something out of the corner of his eye. Shaking his head he decided to do some more studying in the ready room, he got up and signalled to T'Pol that she would be in charge. Sam quickly sat down behind the desk in the ready room and looked over to where Porthos was quietly sleeping. Pulling up the logs from the last few weeks, Sam immersed himself in them. Meanwhile in the rest of the ship, strange things were happening.

In the mess hall, a loud humming filled the room, then suddenly every plate, cup and utensil flew up from where they were on the tables and flipped over in mid air to slam against the ceiling. In seconds every crew person was wearing what he or she had been eating. On D deck, something was causing the floor plating to roll like a wave, hurling people out of its way as it rolled down the hall. In the ready room, Sam was startled out of his ready by a thud. He looked around and frowned, a book had apparently fallen off the shelf. He stood and picked it up, looking down at Porthos he placed the book back on the shelf and went back to his reading. Just as he sat down, a wave rolled across the top of his desk, knocking his coffee cup into the air, where to Sam's amazement it hangs motionless, the coffee that was inside the cup frozen in the act of spilling out.

Just as Sam is about to reach for the cup the comm. goes off.

T'Pol: "Captain to the Bridge."

As Sam emerges onto the Bridge, T'Pol locks her gaze with his. As Sam steps over to his chair, he sees Al working the communications board frantically.

T'Pol: "We're getting reports of anomalies from all over the ship."

Suddenly the lights begin to flicker and the hum of the engines begins to change pitch.

Travis: "Warp power is fluctuating."

Sam reaches over and presses a button on the arm of the captain's chair. "Bridge to Engineering."

Trip: "I don't understand it captain, it's like half the relay's suddenly switched polarity."

Sam briefly struggles to decide what to do. He looks at Al who shrugs his shoulders. T'Pol raises her eyebrow in confusion as to why Jonathan has not stated the obvious yet.

Jon: "Shut down the reactor."

Sam looks to his right and there standing on the other side of the chair is his double.

Without hesitation Sam quickly relays the order.

Trip: "Trying to but it's not responding."

On the bridge, the lights begin to flicker more and monitors begin to go dark.

Travis: "We're losing main power."

In Engineering, Trip punches in a code and pulls the three main levers on the control panel and the room goes dark. Enterprise emerges from warp space and her nacelles flash and also go dark.

On the bridge, the flickering lights, go out, to be quickly replaced by more muted ones.

Malcolm: "I've managed to engage auxiliary power, but most of the main systems are still offline, including weapons."

Sam looks over at his double, he knows that somehow he's here to help. But right now isn't the time to start trying to have a conversation with him.

Jon: "Go with your instincts."

Sam: "Trip, what's your situation."

Trip: "We've got a hell of a mess down here, Captain. It's going to be a while before I can even figure out what just happened"

Sam: "Keep me posted."

Sam was about to try to sneak off to the ready room when Travis piped up

Travis: "Sir, I'm reading a vessel 8 million kilometres off port."

T'Pol: "What's it's heading."

Travis: "It appears to be stationary ma'am."

Jon: "Try to hail them."

Sam looks over at Al/Hoshi: "Can you hail them?"

Al looks at the board: "Uh…our….transceiver. Is uhm offline."

T'Pol looks at Al: "Are you alright Ensign?"

Al: "Yes ma'am"

Sam looks around, briefly locking eyes with Jon.

Jon: "Set a course for them."

Sam: "What's our best speed Ensign."

Travis: "¼ impulse."

Sam: "Set a course."

As Enterprise limps toward the unknown ship. Sam finally has a chance to make a break for his ready room, closely followed by Jon.

As the door closes Sam reaches out and grabs his cup out of mid air and slams it on the desk. He turns to look at Jon.

Sam: "I'm guessing you're here to act in Al's place."

Jon: "Yeah and I'm not to happy to be here. I'm needed on the ship. I must complete this mission!"

Sam : "Yeah well right now the only way you can complete it is by helping me to do it as if I was you. And Al is Hoshi. Now to do that I figure it's gonna require a lot of advice from you. I need to know what to do, how would you do it. And I need to do it in a way to help the two of you not lose everything you've built."

Jon: "What are you talking about? The two of who?"

Sam sighed: "You two, you and T'Pol."

Jon: "This mission, is very important to my people. I need to.."

Sam: "I've seen the logs, I've read the reports. I know what you think you need to do, and your wrong. As well as pig headed."

Jon: "What?"

Sam: "If you had been thinking clearly, you would have realized that it's not just your mission, it's every person on this ships. And that includes T'Pol. She made it hers when she elected to join you. They can help, start letting them. You don't have to take the burden on yourself."

Jon: "I know what I'm doing."

Sam: "Do you? Do you really? Are you aware of just how close you were to losing the best thing that's every happened to you. More so than gaining command of this ship."

Jon: "T'Pol and I may have grown a little distant but…."

Sam: "Distant nothing. That's what I'm here for. It's what I've been sent here to fix. To put right what's gone wrong."

Jon's face went blank. He hadn't realized it had gotten so bad. As he was about to speak up the handlink squealed. He looked down at it.

Jon: "I uh, apparently have to get back. It takes a lot of power to project a hologram into the future. But I'll be back soon."

Sam nodded and watched as Jon walked through the hull of the ship.


End file.
